Texas is seeing a boom in production infrastructure development and the sleepy town of New Barunfels may be next to jump on the bandwagon. Located just north-east of San Antonio, the city of New Braunfels has been sitting on a piece of land for nearly a decade and is now in the process of developing the 16-acre property. of As for what to do with the property, city officials are proposing multiple scenarios that range from a convention center to building a film studio.
New Braunfels Economic Development Corporation evaluated plans to redevelop the nearly 20 acres at Gruene Road and Common Street during a city council meeting on Monday, August 12. The city first acquired the land in 2016 but began the planning process and feasibility in fall 2023. Contractor Economic and Planning Systems, Inc., conducted a study to identify development scenarios.
The study found three main developments, each aimed to align with the city’s economic goals. Evaluation scores were determined using set criteria by EPS and ranked individually. They are as follows:
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Visitation Scenario: This scenario’s primary features include a convention center, meeting spaces, and a boutique hotel. The land would also be used for food and beverage spaces, multi-family housing, and parks. It’s evaluation score was 83.3%.
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Creativity Scenario: To join the region’s growth in the film hub, this phase proposes a film studio and boutique hotel, with secondary uses including a land bank and park. This scenario scored a 80% in the evaluation.
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Local Focus: Will include medical office building as the primary use and secondary use of single and multi-family housing and parks. This scenario scored the lowest at 70%.
